Appeal for Urgent Intervention to Ensure the Safety of Asylum Seekers in Sinai
Last Updated on Thursday, 01 March 2012 20:02 Written by Fr. Mussie Zerai Thursday, 01 March 2012 19:57
16 Eritrean refugees who managed to escape from the hands of their captors, are now in danger because chased by traffickers, for now refugees from a tribal chief opponent of traffickers.
In recent weeks there was the boy, Solomun who escaped from the hands of Yasser Abu Simya of Rafah, which was saved in extremis thanks to the mediation of Dr. Alganesh and welcomed by the UNHCR, Solomun now this boy is recovering in hospital in Cairo , because of injuries, but mostly for treatment of psychiatric drugs because it is in dire condition allivello psychological, all due to the torture that he suffered from marauders to get money from relatives.There are 10 men and 6 women who risk their lives if the traffickers find it. We know that in recent days there have been battles between government forces and Bedouins, we do not know the motivations of this battle that had, the fact is the Sinai region is going through difficult moments in recent years after they took control of the territory until you get to make attacks against police stations in Rafah and Al Arish. Throughout the period of revolution we have witnessed these assaults of robbers to recover the refugees who were detained in police stations. Unfortunately there are still hundreds of people in the hands of traffickers, is seeking a solution that is solving the root cause of this exodus of young Eritreans, are estimates of 2000 refugees for month to Sudan to Ethiopia and other time, then from this depart in search of protection and a better future. Today I received news of 4 children in Eritrea taken from a place called Emba Derho with the deception of a safe and easy, then three of which were sold to smugglers in Sinai.another one that got away that is now in Sudan has told, that come close to the border there was a shootout, their guide and managed to escape, while the three relatives who were taken and loaded into cars sold in the Sinai, have already paid 5 thousand dollars, to head their families have paid to the treasurer of the group that is located in Arab countries, traffickers now claim $ 30 000 each. This has become the worst nightmare of hundreds of families in Eritrea. Traffickers have also complicit in Eritrea is the demonstration that Stano multiplied in recent months who report that they have been abducted from inside the country. Now these 16 people who managed to escape from the hideout where they were segregated need help to leave the territory mined in the Sinai to reach the less dangerous, that is out of the Sinai.We call on the Egyptian Authority and the UNHCR, IOM, HRW, AMNSTY to work to save these lives and provide them with international protection as asylum seekers.
Fr. Mussie Zerai
Tel. +39.3384424202
Tel. +41(0)765328448